106 Examining the Impact of Hagwons and the South Korean Education System on the Self-Efficacy and Entity Mindset Development of Young South Korean Adults

Faculty Mentor: Daniel Porter Morgan (Political Science, University of Utah)

Abstract

When discussing the South Korean Education System, Hagwons are an integral factor that contributes to the academic pressure and intense competition between students to receive exemplary grades. This paper examines the impact of Hagwons and the South Korean Education System on the self-efficacy and entity mindset development of young adults in South Korea. Past literature has focused on the physical and psychological impact of hagwons on the adolescent population in South Korea. This paper extends beyond existing literature by examining how this privatized education system has impacted young adults who have now aged out of the hagwon target population. An interpretive methodology was utilized to conduct one-hour-long semi-structured qualitative interviews with South Korean undergra uates that had all attended hagwons during their adolescence. The interviews were then transcribed and coded by utilizing a thematic analysis method. Six key themes emerged: Agency loss during childhood, cultivation of an entity mindset, learned helplessness, mental burden, self-efficacy, and the parent’s role in their children’s education. I concluded that the South Korean Education System and Hagwons play a pivotal role in crafting an entity mindset amongst South Korean students that increases mental burnout and learned helplessness while also impacting the self-efficacy of these students throughout young adulthood.